The recent escalation in tension between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the release of water from the Nagarjuna Sagar dam led the Centre to intervene, and hold a meeting with both states over the water dispute.
On Friday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla held a video conference along with chief secretaries, DGPs, and irrigation secretaries from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), and Central Water Commission (CWC) joined the Conference.
The centre proposed them to maintain the status quo as of November 28 and also directed that The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will oversee the dam to prevent further conflicts and ensure water distribution in accordance with the agreed-upon terms.
In the meeting, the topic of transferring dam control to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) was raised. However, Telangana requested a delay in making a policy decision until after their ongoing election, stating that the matter would be decided by the next chief minister due to the current policy implications.
Photo: NDTV
The Krishna Water Sharing Dispute?
Andhra Pradesh Police with Irrigation officials triggered the Krishna water dispute by forcibly occupying half of the Nagarjuna sagar dam and releasing water to their territory, ultimately leading to Telangana to raise the issue with the KRMB and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
During the meeting, Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari asserted that the Andhra Pradesh government's actions were pre-planned, taking advantage of Telangana's engagement in the assembly poll.
She highlighted that AP officials opened head regulators 5 and 7, releasing 5,000 cusecs of water downstream to AP. Kumari emphasised that this was the second time AP had taken control of Nagarjuna Sagar.
In response, the Telangana government filed complaints with both KRMB and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) on Thursday. Two cases were filed against Andhra Pradesh Police in Telangana's Nalgonda district. The charges, including wrongful restraint, trespass, and mischief, were lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Telangana police are also considering adding sections under the Public Property Damage Act.
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Officials reported that on the night of November 29 and 30, a significant contingent of AP police allegedly forcefully entered the dam site, displacing Telangana's Special Protection Force (SPF) responsible for guarding the access points.
Expressing concerns, Kumari stated that AP's actions could lead to both law and order issues and impact the drinking water needs of Greater Hyderabad. She urged the Union Home Secretary to restore the status quo of 2014.
Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam dams fall under common projects managed by KRMB. However, KRMB has not assumed control yet, as operational protocols remain pending. The Ministry of Jal Shakti will convene another meeting with both states.
Responding to the Telangana government's complaint about the unauthorised withdrawal of water by Andhra Pradesh from Nagarjuna Sagar dam, KRMB has instructed the AP government to cease the alleged illegal withdrawal of water from Nagarjuna Sagar dam.
KRMB member Ajay Kumar Gupta clarified that, while AP was managing the Srisailam dam, the operational control of Nagarjuna Sagar dam was temporarily in the hands of Telangana.
Although Andhra Pradesh had initially requested 15 tmcft of water from the dam, and a portion had already been utilised, KRMB had not received a revised request for water release as of November 30. This prompted KRMB to insist on an immediate halt in water release.
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